jean-luc picard

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Posts by jean-luc picard

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  27

  Many ex-JWs have never read Combating Cult Mind Control

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the general public knows far too little about cults and mind control...and this is reflective of many ex-jws as well.

  when i meet up with former jws, either in person or on the phone, im surprised that the majority have never read combating cult mind control.

  of course, i am sure many former jws do not want to read yet another publication.

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  jean-luc picard

  Many ex-JWs have never read Combating Cult Mind Control

  otherwise it would be a best seller.

  Joking aside Londo, you make a good point.

  jlp.
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  50

  My Story - a (kinda) newbie from the UK

  by wizzstick in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after lurking for 7 and half years (is that a record?!

  ) its time for me to say hello.. so who am i, and whats my story?.

  im a born in jw, with all my siblings, mother, wife and children in.

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  jean-luc picard

  Welcome to the board wizzstick.

  I missed the 1995 thing as it was the year I stopped going.

  Its funny to think we used to ask "how many years have you been in THE TRUTH brother?" when in fact it is now obvious that it was THE LIE
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  25

  IS YOUR TEACHING UP-TO-DATE? - (WT Study Article for June 3-9, 2013)

  by Oubliette in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the watchtower study article for last week, june 3rd - 9th, 2013, the congregation was asked the question, "is your teaching up-to-date?".

  there was a box on the top of page 9 that asked three questions allowing everyone to test themselves and find out if they had "up-to-date" and "accurate knowledge" in keeping with the "the ever-increasing light" as revealed through the pages of the watchtower magazine and related publications.

  now at first blush this all sounds really good, but is it?

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  jean-luc picard

  I think it would be ironic to study " The TRUTH that leads to eternal life" with someone today.

  And to think they bragged that it was a worlds best seller at the time. Maybe everybody should ask for their money back.
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  26

  God will forgive me....apparently

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i left the jws and went to a baptist church which was far better than anything i'd known before having been born into the dangerous cult of the watchtower corporation.. having travelled a path of spirituallity i have concluded that there is no god evident to me.

  evolution?

  i have no idea...i just live my life knowing that when i die there is nothing after it.

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  jean-luc picard

  For many years, I could not bring myself to say " there is no god".

  I had a Catholic work colleague who told me the same.

  But with the passing years, I now can say it: "There is no God, otherwise he would have ............"

  There: I've gone and said it. Jean-Luc has come out of the closet.
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  62

  Should all elders be painted with the same brush?

  by Socrateswannabe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  an hour or two ago, i was reading a topic on this forum that welcomed new elders to jwn.

  there was some criticism aimed at the op and i understand that elders shouldn't be singled out as special.

  one poster said he/she hates all elders.

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  jean-luc picard

  An interesting thread Socrates.

  In answer to your question: certainly not.

  I think, in fact, that most of the male members on the board, have served as an elder.

  It is as an elder, that you really see what goes on behind the scenes, what is said, how they react, ect. Even though the R&F can guess, as an eleder you actually SEE it. And for a good number, they are disgusted, and disappointed.

  Yours is a difficult situation I have seen it before. You know, of course , that you will not succeed in changing them. Even the much awaited CO "he will sort it out!" can do very little.

  I wish you lots of strength in the meantime. On the board you can vent freely at least. You will find some who disagree with you, but many who understand from personal experience.

  Good luck with your family.

  jlp
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  7

  Jotham Article for Children...

  by losingit in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am disfellowshipped, separated from my husband, and have been "lurking" for some time.

  only because i was so unbelievably lonely for being disfellowshipped, i was missing my "friends" terribly, did i even bump into this site.

  i googled "lonely and disfellowshipped" and a stream of experiences appeared on the screen.

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  jean-luc picard

  Welcome to the forum loseingit.

  It is sad to here your story, though so many have had similar experiences.

  Your pseudonym says alot. However, I hope, and it is altogether possible, that in the future you will look back on this choice with a smile, realising just how far you've come. In the meantime, you will find friends here, some who you will sympathise with more than others.

  And the beauty is, this site is active 24 hours a day. You can always find someone on line.

  Good luck with your future, and again, welcome.

  jlp
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  64

  Julia gets hit with the Shun Gun for the first time...and it really hurts.

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my jw friend of 20 years, the first one i ever met, the one who got me into jwism in the first place, unfriended me from facebook without explanation.

  other jws who have unfriended me at least called me names (apostate) and told me they were unfriending me, but they were no loss.

  but someone who's been your friend since you were 13...and no explanation...i'd think 20 years- 20 years!

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  jean-luc picard

  Hi Julia.

  I'm sorry to hear of your experience, though it was bound to come sooner or later.

  I am somewhat surprised at the rapidity, as it seems from your posts that you are just in the early stages of fading.

  I have been out years now. 15 years ago, the law was: you shun people, AFTER a talk has been given from the plateform, and you "understand" who it applys to.

  The same for disfellowshipping. You were not disfellowshipped until after the announcement was made from the plateform, which was no sooner than 7 days after the judicial committee, (a time period which allows for you to appeal).

  There are alot of rules in the elders manual on procedure, which is rather amusing for a religion, don't you think?

  What really angered me most, was that no one, not even the elders respected these procedures when I was disfellowshipped. I knew I was going to be, and had no objection. I was no longer ready to live by the tenets of the wtbts. I did not go to the jc. No point.

  But they did not respect their own laws and regulations. Maybe those regulations have changed ( new light) or maybe your " friend" isn't respecting them either.
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  67

  Tech49 on HOURS, TIME, and REPORTS

  by Tech49 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i thought i would share some of my observations on counting field service time, reports, etc.

  and how those reports are viewed, to those that are still so fixated on numbers.. i served as secretary on the service committee for many years, and have seen it all!.

  i was really disheartened when wt changed the requirement for aux pioneering to allow for 30 hrs, instead of the 50 it has been for so long.

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  jean-luc picard

  Welcome to the board Tech.

  I am going to enjoy reading your posts. I see that you are a person after my own heart:

  if you are going to do something, then do it properly.

  If ownly the rank and file could see what really goes on at elders meetings. Its not even a question of a particular congregation, as some think.

  It is everywhere: every country,every congregation is the same.
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  27

  Moral dilemma: to tell my husband or not to tell him...

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  that his jw best friend he hasn't seen in ages is coming for holidays from where he now lives overseas.

  this jw friend was instrumental in getting my husband into the cult before we met.

  i heard from a jw from my old cong who just emailed me.

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  jean-luc picard

  I suggest that you also tell your husband of your fears, as they are justified.

  You both have some time to prepare yourselves.

  I have followed the evolution of your situation with interest. It seems that until now, that you have been pleasantly surprised. There is probably no reason why that should change.

  By the way, was your husband planning of going to the CA?
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  18

  Life after DF/divorce

  by Freeof1914 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am just wondering how many here have gone through the experience of being disfellowshipped and divorced?

  i am currently in that situation and sometimes i am afraid of what to expect.

  thankfully i have a good core of friends, but nonetheless i still find myself somewhat nervous of what to expect in my new life.

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  jean-luc picard

  Hi Free of 1914.

  We're you able to find someone who was understanding of such issues?

  In answer to your question, yes.

  However, it is not wise to advertise upfront that you were a JW. But when to tell, that is the question

  When the now MrsP found out I used to be a jw, ( from an exjw friend in common, ) she phoned me up ( we lived a long way apart ), to make sure that I was really out of it.

  I was able to assure her, and 16 years later, we are still happily together. Today, we talk about my life, childhood, etc, as a jw. She realises that I am somewhat scarred from the experience, and she realises also, that I visit this site to find people that can understand more easily than she can.

  Most of my inlaw family do not know about my past life. Its amusing, because one of my wifes cousins is a jw. A few do know but it took several years before I told them.

  There is, of course, no garantees in life, but be assured, your life is not over. On the contrary,its just beginning.

  I was like you. I did not want to spend my life alone. Maybe, in hindsight I ran after wouldbe partners a little too much. But one day, when I was not looking, I bumped into Mrs P. So take heart. Life will not always be easy. But it does hold out some wonderful surprises.

  Good luck.

  jlp